BAD IDEAS

Crash and burn: The 10 biggest product fails of all time

Image: Steve Johnson

Not every innovation is destined to succeed. Some ideas might sound promising on paper but fail to meet real-world consumer needs. And these flops aren’t always easy to prevent— even the most successful companies make mistakes that end up costing millions. From the infamous Ford Edsel to Colgate-branded frozen meals, there’s no shortage of failed products that should have never left the drawing board. Join us on a journey through 10 of the biggest commercial failures of all time!

Image: James Yarema

In 1985, Coca-Cola made the bold decision to change its classic formula in an attempt to compete with the rising popularity of Pepsi. The new version, known as "New Coke," was sweeter and aimed at capturing Pepsi's younger customer base. Coca-Cola’s executives believed this shift would boost sales but completely underestimated the emotional attachment millions of loyal Coke drinkers had to the original formula.

Consumer outrage was immediate, and the company was flooded with angry letters, petitions, and protests, all accompanied by disappointing sales. Just three months later, Coca-Cola was forced to reintroduce the original formula under the name Coca-Cola Classic. The episode is now remembered as a cautionary tale about the risks of tampering with beloved brands.

Image: Peter Secan

Though you may have never heard of it, the Edsel was Ford's failed attempt to introduce a new automotive brand in the late 1950s. Marketed as the car of the future and named after Henry Ford’s son, Edsel Ford, the first model featured innovative elements like a push-button transmission and an overall modern design.

Unfortunately, it became a major commercial flop. While Ford executives expected it to dominate its price segment, consumers found the car unattractive and plagued by mechanical issues. The marketing hype had raised expectations so high that the car ultimately failed to live up to them, leading to one of the biggest automotive failures in history.

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Anyone with common sense would know that perfumes and Harley-Davidsons are not exactly a match made in heaven. The rugged, tough image of the motorcycle brand doesn’t align well with the idea of a pleasant fragrance—unless grease and gasoline are your go-to cologne.

Well, despite this being obvious, Harley-Davidson briefly ventured into the fragrance business in the 1990s. The ill-advised idea didn’t last long, as the brand’s consumers were confused by it, and the high-end fragrance market showed little interest. The result? The mismatched perfume was quietly pulled from shelves shortly after its release.

Image: Les Corpographes

While not a complete failure—similar devices made by other companies are still being made after all—the product never lived up to its inflated expectations. When the Segway was introduced in 2001, it was billed as a groundbreaking personal transport device that would revolutionize how people got around in cities.

And while the self-balancing technology was impressive, the high cost that came with it put it out of reach for most consumers. Additionally, city infrastructure wasn’t really designed to accommodate the device, making it impractical for daily use. The original Segway was discontinued in 2020, after almost two decades of poor sales.

Image: Rachel Loughman

Who in their right mind sees a can of baby food and thinks, "We can market this to adults, you know"? Apparently, Gerber's marketing executives did. In 1974, Gerber, a brand known for its baby food, made a puzzling attempt to target adults with "Gerber Singles," a line of pureed meals.

The concept was simple: convenient, single-serve meals for adults seeking quick nutrition. However, most people weren’t interested in eating what felt like astronaut food on a daily basis. As expected, the product flopped almost immediately, with consumers finding the idea unappealing and even infantilizing. It quickly became an industry joke and was swiftly pulled from the market.

Image: Bermix Studio

When companies rush to introduce innovative products for quick profits, they sometimes overlook the testing phase. In 1998, Frito-Lay launched Wow! Chips, a revolutionary product marketed as fat-free snacks made with olestra, a fat substitute that couldn’t be absorbed by the body.

While the idea of guilt-free snacking seemed appealing, the new component caused very unpleasant—and rather laxative—effects on people. The product quickly earned a bad reputation, and consumers avoided it. A few years later, most olestra-based chips were removed from the market.

Image: Christian Allard

What’s with well-established companies trying to venture into the fragrance industry? In the 1980s, Bic, a brand famous for its disposable pens, reliable lighters, and inexpensive razors, attempted to introduce a line of cheap, disposable perfumes. The idea was that consumers would buy fragrance as easily as they would a pen or lighter.

However, the concept of throwaway perfume didn’t resonate with the public, who typically associate perfumes with luxury and longevity. Additionally, the market for cheap perfumes was already oversaturated. Why would consumers choose a Bic perfume over other options? Sales were dismal, and the product quickly disappeared from shelves.

Image: Diana Polekhina

Sometimes companies give too much credit to the bizarre conclusions of hare-brained marketing brainstorm sessions, but rarely as much as when Colgate decided to enter the frozen food market in the 1980s. Colgate Kitchen Entrees offered a range of ready-to-eat meals, from lasagna to roasted chicken.

However, consumers were clearly put off by the idea of buying food from a brand so closely associated with dental hygiene. Unsurprisingly, sales were terrible, as the Colgate name universally evokes thoughts of toothpaste rather than appetizing meals. Remembered as one of the worst marketing decisions in history, the experiment was quickly terminated.

Image: Ivan Torres

You could excuse McDonald’s for trying to expand into the pizza industry. After all, their business is fast food, and pizza is one of the most popular fast-ish food items in the world. They tried their luck with the concept in the late 1980s by introducing the McPizza, hoping to capture a share of the pizza market.

However, the pizzas took too long to prepare, clashing with McDonald’s fast-food model. Additionally, customers didn’t really associate McDonald’s with pizza, preferring their classic menu items instead. As a result, the experiment was short-lived, and most locations phased out McPizza by the mid-1990s.

Image: Dylan Carr

Google Glass debuted in 2013 as a cutting-edge wearable device offering augmented reality. The futuristic glasses allowed users to take photos, access the internet, and receive notifications. Despite the hype surrounding its potential, privacy concerns emerged over the built-in camera, with fears that it could lead to covert surveillance in public spaces.

But what ultimately doomed the concept was its high cost combined with limited functionality for everyday users. More of a prototype than a finished product, Google Glass struggled to find a mainstream market. It was quietly discontinued in 2015, though it is still credited with advancing the trend of wearable technology.

The truth about your brain

You won’t believe what happens in your brain while you sleep

Image: Milad Fakurian

Your brain is one of the most powerful and mysterious organs in your body. It controls everything from your thoughts to your emotions and even processes information at lightning speed. But how much do you really know about it? Some long-believed myths about the brain have been debunked, while other surprising facts reveal just how incredible this organ truly is. Get ready to be amazed by these fascinating brain facts!

Image: Natasha Connell

You’ve probably heard this one before, but it’s completely false! While it’s true that not all parts of the brain fire at the same time, imaging studies show that most regions are active throughout the day, even when we sleep.

Your brain is constantly working, controlling bodily functions and emotions, and processing information. So next time someone says you’re only using 10% of your brain, you can confidently tell them that’s just a myth!

Image: Aarón Blanco Tejedor

Here’s a weird fact: While your brain processes pain signals from the rest of your body, it has no pain receptors of its own. This is why surgeons can perform brain surgery on conscious patients without causing them pain.

However, the membranes and tissues surrounding the brain do have pain receptors, which is why headaches and brain injuries can be so excruciating.

Image: Usman Yousaf

How come we have headaches if the brain has no pain receptors? Well, that’s because headaches are triggered by chemical activity in the brain, changes in nerves and blood vessels, and even fluctuating serotonin levels.

In some cases, hormones like estrogen can also play a role, which explains why migraines are more common in women.

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Dreams are proof that your brain never rests! (Warning: this fact can make you feel exhausted.) While you sleep, your limbic system, that is, the part of the brain that deals with emotions, becomes especially active, which is why dreams often feel so intense.

On average, humans experience four to seven dreams per night, even if we don’t always remember them. And what about that scary nightmare about falling? Well, you can thank your amygdala, the brain’s fear center, for that one.

Image: Brett Jordan

Have you ever walked into a room and instantly forgotten what you were after? That’s because short-term memory only lasts about 20-30 seconds! That’s not enough!

Your brain holds a limited amount of information in its active state before deciding whether to store it or discard it. Ironically, we can’t really choose what makes the cut, but we do hope these facts stay with you!

Image: BUDDHI Kumar SHRESTHA

That sharp, icy pain when you eat something too cold? It’s your brain’s way of telling you to slow down! Officially called sphenopalatine ganglioneuralgia, a brain freeze happens when cold food or drinks rapidly chill the blood vessels in your throat, causing them to constrict and then rapidly expand. This sends pain signals to your brain, warning you of the sudden temperature shift. It’s annoying, but it’s actually your body trying to protect itself!

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You didn’t need us to tell you, but let’s look at the details: The average person has between 12,000 and 60,000 thoughts per day. What’s even more interesting? 95% of those thoughts are the same ones you had yesterday. Is that not surprising enough? Hear this out: 80% of them tend to be negative. That’s because our brains are wired for survival, constantly analyzing risks and potential dangers.

Image: Terry Vlisidis

Even though it only makes up about 2% of your body weight, your brain employs a major quantity of energy! It consumes 20% of your oxygen and blood supply, making it one of the most demanding organs in your body.

If your brain goes without oxygen for just five minutes, brain cells start dying, leading to irreversible damage. This is why deep breathing and cardiovascular exercise are great for brain health!

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Do you know that feeling when you hit the back of your head and see stars? That’s because your occipital lobe, which controls vision, is located at the back of your brain. If you get hit there, your brain momentarily misfires, causing flashes of light.

Interestingly, your brain processes vision on the opposite side; while your right brain controls your left eye, your left brain controls your right eye. It’s one of the many ways the brain operates in a complex way.

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Believe it or not, your brain generates between 12 and 25 watts of electricity when you’re awake. If you can’t really grasp how powerful that is, check this out: It’s enough to power a small light bulb! Your brain’s electrical activity is what allows neurons to send signals at speeds of up to 260 miles per hour.

Image: Robina Weermeijer

Your brain may be the fattiest organ in your body, consisting of at least 60% fat! This is why consuming healthy fats, like omega-3s and omega-6s present in fish, for example, is essential for brain health.

Healthy fats stabilize brain cell walls, reduce inflammation, and support cognitive function. So go ahead and enjoy that avocado toast, it’s food for your brain!

Image: Robina Weermeijer

It’s not just your memory that fades over time; the brain itself physically shrinks as one gets older. It continues developing until your late 40s, but after that, it slowly decreases in size.

Now, size doesn’t equal intelligence, so a smaller brain doesn’t necessarily mean a less capable one. Staying mentally active, exercising, and eating brain-boosting foods can help keep it in top shape!

Image: Lisa Yount

We often think of cholesterol as bad, but your brain actually depends on it! In fact, 25% of your body’s cholesterol is stored in your brain, where it helps with learning and memory. However, unlike other organs, the brain can’t absorb cholesterol from the blood, it has to produce its own. So, while too much cholesterol in the body can be harmful, the right amount is vital for brain function. At least you can use that as an excuse to get that burger!